Introduction
by Chief Spazork
Summary: Young Naruto is alone as always, trying to figure things out. But then someone comes along to change his day, and life. For 100 Themes


"Why don't you just leave?"

"Yeah, nobody wants you!"

"Get out of here!"

Their words rang in the boy's head as he looked down at the ground, his small hands clenched into angry fists, and walked away. All he wanted to do was play with them… And they still hated him. The adults ignored him, or addressed him like a dog, and their children refused to include him in anything, sticking their noses up at him like a piece of dirt. Head ducked, his blue eyes only watched as his sandaled feet moved mechanically forward, covering the distance between he and his target at a slow pace.

He could feel their eyes on him, their disapproving stares, their fearful and hateful glances. His fists clenched harder, his nails biting into the soft palm of his hand. What had he done to warrant their hate? What had he done that was so bad, nobody could look at him without a degree of fear and dislike in their eyes, if they bothered to meet his gaze? He wasn't any different from the rest of the kids. He wasn't odd-looking, except the whisker marks. He didn't remember doing anything wrong…

The ground beneath his feet shifted from the hard, compact dirt to the trim grass of the academy's yards. Looking around, he saw no one there. His sad, watery eyes spotted the tree he always went to; the one with the age-old swing hanging from its branches. Walking to it, he sat down, gripping the ropes as he heaved a sigh. It had been his life; alone, denied of everything that everybody else had. He didn't have parents. He didn't have friends. He didn't have anybody cheering him on…

The hot tears trailed down his face to fall on his dirty shirt. The blonde boy squeezed his eyes shut, one of his hands rising to rub his eyes in a feeble attempt to vanquish the show of emotion, to no avail. His breathing grew faster, and the tears came faster, until it was all he could not to full out sob. Nobody would hear him anyway. He was all alone. He had always been alone. Nothing would ever change, because he was hated. Their looks would always burn through his skin and into his heart, their rejection would always be a sting at his sanity.

Sniffling, the boy looked down at his hands, wet with the tears he had tried to wipe away, trembling with his body's shaking and in light of the tears that still welled over down his face. Was it so hard to just ask for somebody to care? A new wave of hurt hit him, his teeth clenching and grinding while he whimpered, determined to not draw the attention to himself that would make them add more insults to their lists. Monster, worthless, outsider. Didn't need to have them add crybaby, too.

Yeah, it was too much to ask. Nobody but Iruka and the old man Hokage had every shown him an ounce of caring, ever tried to encourage him. Even the woman who had raised him, and now left him by himself except for the weekly check-ins had never cared. She had been scared every time she was with him, always detached, depriving him of the normal love and tenderness his heart and soul craved.

He just wanted to be accepted, for once. He wanted to not have to feel the terrible things he did when they called him names and laughed at him. He wanted to have a friend, maybe even two. He wanted to be known by his name, not as the insults they gave him. He wanted to be anything other than what he had been raised to believe he was, told he was.

"I'll show them…" he grumbled, his voice shaky and off key. It was a promise to himself, and it would prove to become his driving goal.

"Show who?"

The voice coming from behind him made him jump off of the swing, whipping around to look at the girl standing there. He drew his arm across his face, wiping away at the moisture that clung to his red-blotched face. His swollen eyes narrowed in suspicion, and he sniffed repeatedly to keep his nose from dripping. He hadn't even noticed her come up behind him…

"And why are you crying?" the girl asked, her head tilting to the side in curiosity. The odd, bright pink bangs that were held back by the red ribbon tilted with her, but her green eyes remained glued to him, brow slightly furrowed in question. She stepped forward and took his spot on the swing, and swung herself gently, to and fro. Still, the verdant gaze remained on his, empty of the things he usually saw. In her eyes, the young boy did not see the fear and the hate he usually spotted.

"Uhh…" His voice seemed to be gone. It was just too much of a surprise to see somebody without some kind of disapproval on their face, looking at him. "I.. I was lonely," he mumbled, looking away from the girl. She frowned, and stopped swinging. The boy scowled, and felt weak for showing, and then saying, how he felt.

"I know who you are." The words were like a knife through his thoughts, and he looked up again, his eyes guarded. If she knew, then surely she wouldn't be so friendly. Nobody ever was. But when his blue stare met her jade, again, he felt confused. She… Still just looked curious. If a bit sympathetic. After a moment of exchanging stares, she laughed, and began to swing again.

"You don't look scary. I don't see why they call you a monster," she said without a care, barely noticing the wince he gave in response. "Your name's Naruto, right?" The blonde nodded, still stuck in his bewilderment. This… Was different. "I'm Sakura," the girl continued, waiting a moment before jumping off the swing. The pink-haired girl giggled, before turning to him again. "Why are you alone?" she questioned, still only the innocent interest shining through her eyes. Maybe this wasn't some prank, or anything… Naruto felt the tears gather in his eyes again, and he quickly rubbed them away.

"Because they all hate me," he said dejectedly, his voice low. Sakura scowled at him, and her hands went to her hips in a manner that was too old for her seven year old self.

"I don't see why. I don't see anything wrong with you." He sniffled, still unsure of what to feel towards this random appearance in his life. She obviously didn't hate him… She didn't think the bad things about them. Or was she faking? Could this all be a cruel joke that the others were putting him through? His heart squeezed at the thought.

"Don't you have any friends?" Naruto shook his head, looking down towards the ground to conceal the sadness he knew was in his eyes. "Hmmm…" The girl pondered, and when he looked up to ask her what, he was surprised to see a look of determination on her face. "I got it." She said to him, and smiled a toothy grin.

"Got what?" he asked, still wary of the kindness he was being shown. He couldn't really help it… After years of being shown nothing close, the suspicion was natural.

"I'll be your friend." The simplicity with which she said it shocked him; she just said it like he had no choice, like it was only natural that she should do such a thing. His jaw dropped a bit, and he felt a warm tingling spread through him, starting in his chest, getting rid of the painful tightness that had been there in his sorrow. Sakura frowned at him, and huffed overdramatically. "I mean, if you don't want to-"

"No! No, I do!" he shot in, his hands coming up to flail in front of him. "I'm just…" He trailed off, unsure of how to describe how he felt. Surprised, happy, excited? All of those would have worked.

"Well then. Meet me back here tomorrow, around the same time, okay? I have to go home now," Sakura commanded, smiling again. As she walked away, he could only stare at her back. "I'll see you then?" she asked, looking over his head to catch his vigorous nod. "Good. Bye, Naruto!" The girl switched from walking to skipping, humming loudly as she moved away from him.

"Bye, Sakura…" he mumbled to himself, grinning big enough to make his cheeks hurt. It seemed that finally something was changing… He had managed to make his first friend. Well… Had been made to make friends. Either way, he was happy. The laughter that bubbled up from him was pure and full of the happiness he felt. Tonight would be a special night. He'd have to go to Ichiraku's and celebrate with himself. For the first time in his life, he had made a friend.

____

(( OMG I'M DOING THE 100 THEMES CHALLENGE. This is for numbah one, Introduction on the list I have. 3 I know it could fit better somewhere else, but when I read 'Introduction', this scene came to my head. xD Introduction to a new part of his life, and his friendship with Sakura. I KNOW IT'S PROLLY NOT CANON, BUT SHHHHH. ))


End file.
